Kanani Akina
Appearance *Complexion: medium *Eye color: green *Hair color: light toffee brown *Hair style: very long w/ loose curls Fast Facts *Age: 10-11 *Grade: presumably entering 5th (as the story most likely takes place during the summer) *Ethnicity: Japanese/Hawai'ian (father's side), French/German (mother's side) *Location: Kaua'i, Hawaii *Pets: Barksee the dog, Jinx the rooster, and Mochi the goat *Part-time job: cashier at Akina's Shave Ice and Sweet Treats (her parents' shop) Family and Friends *Mrs. Akina: Mother *Mr. Akina: Father *Jodi Sutton: Mrs. Akina's sister, Kanani's aunt *Rachel Sutton: Kanani's cousin, Jodi Sutton's daughter *Paul: Jodi Sutton's husband, Rachel's step-father, Kanani's step-uncle *Celina de la Cruz: Kanani's best friend, who shares many of her interests *Seth de la Cruz: Celina's kind older brother *Pika: a mischievous boy who likes to tease Kanani Description Kanani is a cheery, optimistic girl who loves to spread "the Aloha spirit" around Kaua'i by being kind to others. Having been born and raised in the Hawai'ian islands, she is an expert at hula dancing and paddleboarding; however, she st ruggles with surfing, which is her best friend Celina's favorite sport. Her passion for photography is strong, and she puts her picture-taking skills to use whenever she can. Kanani is a good conversationalist and enjoys chatting with adults; this comes in handy when an injured monk seal is spotted at the beach and she must speak to the animal rescue workers. Her biggest concern is marine life preservation, and she often advocates for ocean animals and their rights. Stories In her first adventure, Aloha, Kanani, Kanani is preparing for the arrival of her twelve-year-old cousin, Rachel Sutton. Rachel will be staying with the Akinas for a month, and Kanani can hardly wait! When Rachel finally visits, Kanani is shocked by her stony, negative demeanor. Even a trip to a lu'au fails to cheer her up! Rachel and Kanani are brought together at last when Malana, a monk seal, is injured and needs rescuing. The girls are sad to tell each other goodbye, but they promise to keep in touch by e-mail until they meet again. In Good Job, Kanani, Kanani opens a shave ice stand at the beach to raise money for the Hawaiian monk seal- with Pika, a pest who teases her without end. When she's not selling tasty treats to her customers, she's riding the waves with Celina, despite her immense fear of surfing. Celina knows that Kanani doesn't like surfing, and eventually finds a new surfing buddy- Jo Amoy, who has had plenty of experience in competitions for girls her age. Kanani finds herself growing envious of Jo, but makes an effort to be nice to her and gains her as a friend. Pika turns out to be a good business partner (despite his hardheadedness), and she befriends him, as well. The two raise lots of money for the endangered monk seals together by reaching their goal of $300. In her exclusive online journal, which can be found on www.americangirl.com, Kanani travels to New York City to reunite with Rachel. She goes to dance classes, tours the city, and is made fun of by Rachel's friends because of her trouble adjusting, but ultimately learns that the "aloha spirit" works anywhere. Category:Girls of the Year